Explore the most popular hiking trails in White Sands National Monument with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you.

For what it is, this is a cool trail. Very, very easy. There are educational signs along the way and once you learn what the different tracks in the sand are from, it's fun to search for them with kids. I took my 4 year old and she had fun. Words of warning - the boards are slick, so be careful if you have questionable tread on your shoes, and avoid using the hand rails as much as possible due to static electricity build up.

We did a ‘baby equilateral triangle’, went in for about only 5 markers, then cut across to the other side of the trail, and walked out, for a total of 1.5 miles. Worked great with children. With a lot of exploration on the way, took about 1 hour. Saw a bleached earless lizard. The sand just beneath north slopes was very cool despite the air temperature being well above 80s.

Had a blast with this hike - definitely one of the more unique ones in the area. Not too difficult, by any means, but bear in mind you are walking up/down sand dunes. Going up will take a bit more effort, with some backward progress. Trail is surprisingly well-marked, given that these are shifting dunes. Make sure you bring sunglasses (the sand is bright white and reflects the sun) and water/chapstick for the dry air. Believe you can rent snow sleds in the front office as well, if you want to sled the dunes - tons of fun!

This is a great walk. Very impressed with how well marked it is given the constantly shifting dunes. The sand from the far side of the dunes is surprisingly whiter than near the parking loop. Bring some back from the farthest parts of your hike and compare. I recommend walking clockwise to get the more strenuous part at the beginning of the walk but it’s fine either way.

This place is a MUST GO. The gypsum sand is beautiful and the park is so open, vast and you just get this sense of freedom. We pulled off on a side parking spot and headed out with our dogs and just found our own little spot. The dogs absolutely loved the sand and watching them run around without a care in the world gives ya a good feeling. The sky touches the sand and you can see the mountains in the far background. Absolutely breathtaking. This is by far one of my favorite parks and I’m so glad we took the time to spend a couple hours there.

beautiful hike and beautiful scenery. saw a rabbit in the distance otherwise not much wildlife. and not a particularly difficult or diverse hike. but the views make it unique and memorable. this particular trail gets you away from the crowds at the park (tourists, sledding and photog'ing) and offers off-trail opps with virgin sands and unblemished views. will remember it vividly.

My granddaughter Natalia and I walked this trail counterclockwise, when we finished it we noticed that they recommended to walk it clockwise, Any way you walk it you will find wonderful views. Climb the dunes is not easy because the soft sand, but going down is very fun especially if you keep standing. We did the trail the last Saturday of December, very nice weather and a lot of people enjoying this beautiful place, some sledding down the dunes and some just walking. This is a beautiful trail to enjoy and to have a nice time with the family.

This trial is awesome! Perfect temperature in the middle of the day when you hike in December. Not too many people! Little vegetation. Astonishing views along the trail. Highly recommended! If you are not hiking alone, get a sled board from the visitor center, so that you can have a great time sled down the dunes as you hike!

duuuuuuude. everyone should do this hike. It is not easy, you're going up and down very very soft sand. If its winter, its warm and then as the sun starts to go down, it gets very very cold. It took me about 2.5 to 3 hours with stops to eat a sandwich and just enjoy the view along the way. I went on the trail alone, I brought a bunch of water, I mostly had cell service the entire time, and it made me consider the world in a weird way. It's a trippy hike. I ended it at sunset and it was breathtaking.

This was a tough but beautiful trail!!! Bring lots of water and take your time to enjoy the wonder. We signed up to camp and hiked the whole trail with our packs looking for the campsite. We never found the campsite but learned later the campsites are in a different trail.

One of a kind experience! Hiking in early morning or early evening in the is best IMHO due to cooler temperature, higher chances of spotting wildlife, and excellent shading on the sand dunes. We were there early September.

I didn't know what to expect at White Sands and was absolutely floored. This is the purest sand (gypsum, actually) you'll ever see that sparkles like the remnants of a glitter snowstorm. I didn't complete the entire trek (it was hotter than HOT and walking uphill in sand is no easy feat), but still felt satisfied. Rent a sled -- definitely get the wax too -- and you'll feel like it's Christmas in July.